1. SKILLS

1.1. Effective Personal Relationship Skills:  

Friendly; empathetic; inspires trust & confidence; generally able to judge the nature & qualities of people and their personal circumstances (good judgment); calm; responsive; engaging; service driven; emotionally mature; exercises tact & discretion at all times; professional.

1.2. Good Communication Skills:

• Verbal:   ‘Conversationalist’ in a relaxed, easy & appropriate way; makes people feel comfortable; clear communicator.
• Listening:   Empathetic; acknowledging; attentive; interpretive.
• Written:   Good grammar/spelling/style/plain language.

1.3. Concentration and Attention to Detail: 

A good memory for ‘small’ details, and communicates those ‘small’ details where important; ability to follow up with persistence, patience and tenacity.

1.4. Computer Skills:

• Able to ‘navigate’ Microsoft PC computer systems, including basic trouble-shooting and solving basic ‘day-to-day’ computer systems problems.
• Very good word processing (Microsoft Office 2003) and E-mail proficiency.
• Is IT savvy – eg.  very comfortable with the use & applications of IT; able to address & remedy simple IT problems; strives to utilise IT as a business edge.

1.5. Financial Sense:

• Able to read, interpret & prepare trust account statements.
• Appreciation and understanding of financial budgets, and need for regular billing, cost recovery & debtor management.

1.6. Negotiating Skills:  

Reasonable negotiating skills (with clients & legal advisors).   Ability to keep the ‘ball in play’, and provide ‘positioning’ for Solicitors involvement.

1.7. Time Management:  

• Instigates & Monitors Work Flow Processes to ensure clients expectations are exceeded. Appreciation and understanding of financial budgets, and need for regular billing, cost recovery & debtor management.
• Prioritises work.  Can see the ‘wood for the trees’.
• Punctual (aware of time frames).

1.8. Business & Marketing Awareness:

• Mindful of the big picture and future direction.
• Reasonable understanding of marketing principles.
• Promoting the Legal Profession, the Practice and own expertise.
• Wants to understand how most aspects of the business works.
• Mindful of LEGAL PLANiT’s objectives and clarifies these from time to time.

2. EXPERIENCE

2.1. Trust Accounting Experience:  

Inputting of trust accounting data & reconciliation of trust accounts; knowledge of NZLS trust accounting obligations.

2.2. Legal Office Experience:  

Worked in legal office as a legal executive attending to a range of client matters, including meeting with clients; taking client instructions; opening files; legal attendances; billing & reporting to clients.

2.3. Legal Practice Management Systems Experience:  

Familiar with use and applications of an automated (computerised) legal practice management system, such as Brookers JuniorPartner, CCH LawBase, etc.

2.4. Legal Experience:

• Residential conveyancing.
• Small business sales & purchases.
• Leasing.
• Estate planning (Trusts, Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Memoranda of Wishes, etc).
• Trusts administration (Advances, Gifting, Trustees’ Resolutions, etc).
• Estates administration.
• Company incorporations.

2.5. Supervision Experience:  

Task supervision of support staff.

3. PERSONAL QUALITIES

3.1. Action & Outcome Orientated:  

Gets on with the job at hand, but seeks supervision & direction where necessary. Likes to see a project or process finished & well done.

3.2. Input & Direction:   

Will seek input and then take responsibility to achieve an outcome. Where immediate supervision is not available, will use initiative.

3.3. Thinks:

Thinks (appraises options) before acting.

3.4. Initiative:

Initiative to get on with other office work (marketing; development tasks/projects) when not so busy.

3.5. Flexible:

• Willing and able to try something new without pre-judgment.
• Able to cope with sudden changes to plans or interruptions to schedules.

3.6. Responsive and Respectful:

• Respect for the vision, abilities and experience of LEGAL PLANiT.
• Willingness to embrace LEGAL PLANiT’s business philosophies and practices.

3.7. Systems focus:  

Ability to assist in the implementation of office systems, and to follow those systems.

3.8. Attentive to Detail:

• Accurate.
• Enjoys ensuring all details are tidied up.

3.9. Responsible:

• Willing to take responsibility to see that jobs are done.
• Willing to ‘muck in’ at short notice.
• Willing to work extended hours to achieve an outcome.

3.10. Personal Integrity/Trustworthy:  

Integrity; trustworthiness; high ethical standards; maturity; open-minded.

3.11. Personal Disposition:  

Cheerful; positive; self-motivated; focused.

3.12. Sense of Humour:   

Enjoys life, work and the job.

3.13. A ‘People’ Person:

Easy to get along with; likes people; enjoys people contact; courteous; friendly; collegial; co-operative; a team player.

3.14. Self Image:

• Doesn’t take criticism as personal.
• Grounded with no false bravado.
• ‘Centred’ and balanced.
• On an even keel - a balanced outlook on life and work.

3.15. A Learner: 

Willing to be coached and to learn new things; committed to learning & self-improvement.

3.16. Loyalty & Commitment:  

Loyal & committed to LEGAL PLANiT and to the practice of law.

3.17. Life Experience:  

Overseas travel & work experience; sporting & academic achievements, spare-time activities; community involvement; etc.

Click here to apply for this position: ONLINE APPLICATION

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